Outsiders
by dalekclock
Summary: Outsider AU: Coulson's first job since the Tesseract Incident was supposed to be a basic field job. Unfortunately, nothing in the sleepy town of Storybrooke is what it seems. MAJOR SPOILERS FOR OUAT.
1. Prelude

"There was stuff in his car. Receipts, insurance information...his name is Greg Mendell." Emma explained to the worried crowd, inserting a USB drive into the outsider's phone. The phone beeped furiously in her hand as the drive flashed blue. Suddenly, the lock screen disappeared. Emma quickly began thumbing through his browser history as the citizens of Storybrook huddled around her.

"Pictures of him alone at Eastern Seaboard tourist locations, a Linkedin account...he takes pictures of his food." She muttered, flicking her thumb back and forth against the touch screen. "I'll keep looking, but he seems like a well documented, ordinary Joe. Or, Greg..." Emma bit her tongue. There was no such thing as ordinary, not in her line of work. Something felt off.

"So-" Ruby interrupted, nervously thumbing one of her bright red hair extensions. "Whatever's kept random strangers out of Storybrooke for the past twenty-eight years is-"

"Gone." whispered Mary Margaret. "Anyone can just drive in. This is bad."

"Let's try not to overreact," Emma tried to assure the crowd, but to no avail.

"Hook doesn't know where Cora is," Emma segued, "and God knows what she's going to do. With other people here, it's not going to be good for anyone."

"We need to find Regina," Mary Margaret interjected. "Before Cora does, I don't want to think about what damage they could do together. This could not come at a worse time!"

"It's okay," breathed Emma, trying to comfort her mother. "The guy's being patched up right now, he'll probably be off on his way by morning."

"Not exactly-" sounded a voice from behind them. A very worried Dr. Whale walked briskly towards the huddled group.

"Not quite, he's bleeding into his chest cavity. It's not a full stream, but soon he'll start drowning in his own blood. There's something else, too. A scar."

"So?" Emma asked. "Lots of people have scars. It doesn't-"

Her jaw dropped to the floor. Whale had pulled up a photo on his phone of Greg's chest. There was a massive, gnarled, barely healed gash across his heart. The skin was burned heavily, but something was seriously wrong.

"Please tell me those are dead pixels, Whale." Emma whispered hoarsely, eyes wide at the screen.

"They aren't, Sheriff. Areas of the affected skin are glowing blue."

"Gold, there you are!" Whale hurried up to the panicked Rumplestiltskin.

"Any insight? Is this magic?"

"I don't care, now let me pass." Mr. Gold barked, attempting to shoulder his way through. Emma firmly grabbed his arm.

"Gold, this is serious. You were there. You need to-"

"No, I don't!" Gold snapped, wrenching his arm away from the sheriff. "I owe you NOTHING. You owe me, in fact! Oh, but I will tell you this. That driver saw ME throwing some magic. So, instead of trying to get him out of here, you better be hoping he dies, because if he doesn't, then he'll be driving buses up and down Main Street. So glad I don't give a damn!"

Mr. Gold pushed Emma aside with his cane and stormed off, as quickly as his damaged leg would allow. He darted immediately for the ICU before Mary Margaret hurried after him, a knowing look in her eyes.

"What, Miss Blanchard?" He hissed.

"She's going to be okay, Rumplestiltskin...I promise."

"And how are you so sure?" Gold snarled. "What's been done cannot be undone! She's GONE, and no amount of magic can bring her back!"

oOo

Coulson lay barely conscious in his hospital bed.

'Go survey the field, Agent Coulson. I'm sure it's just a bunch of bored scientists who simulated a blast. Rough 'em up a bit and scare them away from doing something actually dangerous.' Phil thought, mentally mimicking Fury's gruff voice. He began coughing furiously, feeling his throat clench uncomfortably around a thick plastic breathing tube. His first undercover location job since the Tesseract incident, and he manages to crash the company car into...a pirate? Wouldn't be the first time. Renaissance Fest '84 got a little heated. Perhaps he was just jaded. He struggled to remember the details. A massive wave of Gamma radiation just appeared in an uncharted area of Maine, and resulting in a faint reaction similar to the Rosenbridge. He drove out from Manhattan to the town in question, some tiny forsaken corner of the country. There was an older man, and fire, and a girl. A crying girl...The man had scared her. She was shouting something before the airbag deployed.

"Who's Belle?"

"Pretty name," Coulson thought, the pain medication finally fulfilling it's duty as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**So that's the prelude! I'm kind of obsessed with OUAT, and decided I have enough OUAT/SHIELD headcanons to fill an entire fanfiction. I'm so sorry about the lack of Prime updates. I'm in the dash towards my junior thesis, and things got insane. Chapter 7 is running through beta, and should be up soon. This fic will also provide a backdoor sequel to Prime (which should wrap around 10-12 chapters,) so stay tuned!**

**Love,**

**DC**


	2. Chapter 2

"Look, letting him die is easy enough, if that's what you decide."

"Let's take this somewhere private, shall we?" Emma hissed, ushering them into the nurses lounge.

"It's not murder if he just succumbs to his injuries, Sheriff," Whale continued.

"Pretty sure it is," glared Emma, folding her arms.

"I don't think he's going to die," said Ruby matter-of-factly. "If whatever made that glowy scar didn't kill him...nothing will."

"Even so, of course we'll save him" Mary Margaret interjected.

"Obviously," added David.

"Well..."

"Leroy!" Ruby snapped.

"I'm just saying, it's either him or us!"

The phone started buzzing in Emma's hand, the iPhone screen simply reading 'Her.'

"Someone's looking for him..." Emma whispered nervously.

"Do we answer it?!" Ruby panicked.

Mary Margaret looked wide-eyed at the name glowing on the screen.

"'Her' might be a wife, or a girlfriend?!" She gulped "We should let her know he's alright..."

"And say what? We can't have more outsiders coming here."

"That's enough, Leroy!" Emma snapped. As they fought, the call went to voicemail.

"Well, that solves that problem" exhaled Emma, cracking her neck. "What do we do now?"

"We'll save him." Mary Margaret declared, "and then deal with the situation."

"I'll prep him for surgery" Whale resigned, grabbing his white coat and slipping the phone in his pocket. A cheery bell sounded, marking the arrival of a voicemail from 'Her.'

...

The next thing Coulson remembered was a blur of lights and the beeping of heart monitors. The anesthetics kept him from acting upon his paranoia. What if they caught onto him for seeing something? They no doubtedly saw his scar from The Tesseract Incident while prepping him for surgery. He prayed it didn't spark any red flags. How could have he been so careless behind the wheel? The painkillers in his system made him a little drowsy, but nothing to the degree of almost killing pedestrians.

'I'm safe' Coulson tried to convince himself. 'They think I'm named Greg, it's basic field work.'

"You awake, Mr. Mendell?" sounded a worried male voice from his bedside. Coulson looked at the disheveled, blonde doctor who seemed too emotionally invested in his case for a basic hit-and-run.

"I'm Dr. Whale, your cardiac surgeon. You're going to have to stay a few weeks, but you'll make a full recovery."

"That's it?" Coulson breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, I just need to take a better medical history now that you're lucid."

Shit.

"What do you want to know?" Coulson asked, successfully masking his uncertainty with a deadpan expression. Dr. Whale coughed and gestured his pen towards Coulson's mildly open hospital gown.

"Oh, that."

"In all my years as a doctor, I've never seen anything like it." It was true, even though Whale's PhD technically came from a curse.

"New radiation trial," Coulson lied. "Vibranium isotope. I had minor lung cancer."

"And it's glowing because..."

"Side effects." Coulson shrugged nonchalantly. Whale shivered, the patient's emotionless attitude towards his own life was highly unsettling.

"Well," Whale acquiesced. Being frozen for nearly thirty years put a hindrance on his medical knowledge from 1984 onwards. "The Sheriff will have some questions about the accident. I'll let you rest and send her in later, Mr. Mendell."

"Call me Greg," Coulson sighed. "Um, Dr. Whale?"

"Everything okay?"

"My things, where are they?"

"Oh." Whale marched to the bedside table. "Right in this drawer, Mr. Mend-I mean Greg." While pulling his clothes, Whale discreetly slipped the phone from his hand into the jacket pocket.

"Pass me my phone?" Coulson groaned, his IVs limiting his movement.

"Of course."

As the door clicked shut, Coulson immedietaly flipped through his contacts until he stopped at 'Her.' His hands were clumsy from the IVs and heart monitors, but he managed to bang out a text message:

(702:) inhosp crashcar magic alrt

Back in Manhattan, Jane Foster felt a sharp vibration from her lab coat pocket. She dragged her lock screen and saw Coulson had replied to her voicemail.

"Everything alright, Boss?" sounded Jane's bushy-haired assistant.

"Fine, Darcy." Jane winced at her phone, knitting her brows tightly. "Coulson finally wrote me back...but I can't understand it. Do you speak text message?"

"Fluently" Darcy chirped, plucking the iPhone from Jane's calculating hands. Her sunny smile crumbled to pieces as she read.

"Well? What does it mean?"

"Coulson's in the hospital, his car crashed."

"What?!" sounded an urgent voice from behind the scientists. "What do you mean, 'hospital?!'"

"Agent Hill," Jane beckoned her superior over to her phone as Darcy displayed the message.

"What's a-l-r-t? He's asking for backup already? Dammit, I knew he wasn't up for returning to work yet!" Maria spat, dialing Director Fury to give him a piece of her mind. Darcy quickly grabbed her superior's wrist.

"Chill!" she exclaimed. "A-L-R-T is shorthand for 'alright.' He's fine!"

"How do you know that? You can't be so sure-"

"I taught it to him" Darcy sighed. "While I was working the medical bay after the invasion. I taught it to the patients so they could easily contact me during rounds. ALRT means 'alright,' 'NH' means 'need help,' etc."

Maria breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"What was his mission, anyway?" Darcy asked Hill quizzically. "The guy could barely stand last month, why the field work?"

"He was desperate to get back out, we got a blip on our satellite similar to the energy signature of the Bifrost. Coulson went to investigate."

"And he said he'd send me everything!" Jane exclaimed.

"Now, don't get too excited," Hill sighed. "Director Fury's easing him back into work, he think's it's just bored kids who rigged some explosions. Nothing too strenuous."

"Still, I hope he's okay..." Jane sighed. "Should we go visit him? He's in Maine, right?"

"Affirmative," Hill replied, "but stand down, Dr. Foster. Coulson survived Loki, I'm pretty sure he can handle a fender bender. He has his phone, he'll keep us posted."

...

"Well?" The crowd cried in unison upon Whale's return to the nurses lounge.

"He's going to make it. He's got a few weeks of recuperation, but he's going to live."

"And the glowy scar?" inquired Ruby.

"He insists it's from cancer treatment, but I'm not buying it. Said his doctor used Vibranium-"

"Are you kidding? That stuff is lethal!" Emma gaped. "That stuff is military grade. A chunk the size of a Rubix cube nearly destroyed Manhattan last year. Where were you?!"

"Cursed."

"Right."

"So he's with the government?" Leroy asked nervously, his hands sweating. "Are we going to be experimented on? I'm telling you, this will come to no good."

"Quiet, Leroy" David snapped.

"I want to talk to him," interrupted Emma. "When will he be awake?"

"He's up now," said Whale.

"Already?"

"Yeah, I decided to wait a few hours just in case he...well, keeled over."

"Alright then!" Mary Margaret beamed, taking her husband's arm. "Let's go talk to him!"

"Um, guys?" Emma winced. "We're not talking to him as a group. We're not a group Sheriff."

"But we've been doing this together..."

"Mary Margaret, we're trying to convince him that this place is normal," Emma began, smiling weakly. "In a normal town, the Sheriff goes in and asks a few questions. She doesn't bring her parents with her."

"That's probably true," David laughed.

"We'll be right here, then."

...

_**Wow, I didn't expect this story to gain any followers. Hope you liked the chapter! **_


	3. Chapter 3

Coulson rolled over in his bed, drowsy and drugged from the surgery. This was just his luck. First a near-fatal stabbing puts him out of commission, and now a near-fatal car crash lands him in the ER of a suspicious town. Perhaps it was time to retire, buy a house in Portland and live his life in peace.

"Nurse..." he groaned, hearing muffled footsteps near his bed.

"Sheriff, actually. Sheriff Swan."

Coulson turned over to see a tall, willowy blonde at his bedside. Her hair was long and messy, the hems of her t-shirt sleeves were stretched over her thumbs, and her Sheriff's badge was pinned casually to her hip. Not the tightly buttoned image of the NYPD cops he was used to mediating with.

"My apologies..." Coulson sighed, lacking the energy to challenge her.

"I see you have your personal affects back," she smiled, attempting to make him at ease. Even medicated, Coulson could tell she was fishing for information, about his scar or what he saw. There were too many variables.

"So, Mr. Mendell," Swan began, tucking her mass of blonde curls behind her neck and sighing. "I wanted to talk to you about the accident."

"Did I hit someone?" Coulson whispered, legitimately concerned. The girl he saw looked scared out of her mind, was she hurt?

"Don't worry" she breathed. "You hit a man but...his injuries are minor. He'll be fine. Trust me, he's sturdy."

"Thank God..." he exhaled.

"-But." Sheriff Swan continued, folding her arms and circling the bed slowly. "I do need you to state what happened in your own words. What you did, what you saw..."

Coulson fought the urge to gulp. This 'Sheriff Swan' was hiding something. He could tell by her tone.

"I didn't see anything, well, the road. But nothing besides that."

"I think I might be able to put your mind at ease, Mr. Mendell," Emma continued as Coulson began to rack his brain for a cover.

"There might be an...explanation for whatever-"

"-I was texting."

"Oh..." she gulped, fighting her relieved expression.

"I looked down for just a second," insisted Coulson, "and when I looked up, that man was too close to avoid."

"It's okay, I'll let you off with a warning this time. I'm glad you were honest with me."

"When can I head home?" Coulson asked, ready to march into Fury's office with a letter of resignation and a plane ticket to Oregon.

"As soon as the doctor clears you," the Sheriff smiled, giving him a nod before heading out the door. As soon as the handle clicked, Coulson pulled his phone from under his pillow and began dialing Jane.

"Hey, there."

"Phil!" Jane exhaled in relief, beckoning her team over to her phone. "I'm going to put you on speaker, Agent Hill and Darcy are with me. We were so worried! Are you okay?"

"Coulson! Where are you? What happened?" Maria screamed into the receiver before Jane could hit the speaker button.

Coulson winced at the volume of his colleague, but his lips twitched into a slight smile at the sound of her voice.

"I'm fine, Agent Hill. I'm fine."

"You get your ass back here right now. I knew you weren't in stable enough condition to-"

"Really, I'm okay." Coulson reassured her. "But I'm going to stay here for a bit longer than I intended."

"Did you find anything? Was that Rosenbridge real?!" Jane squealed.

"I don't know, but you'll never believe what I saw..."

...

"Well?!" Leroy barked as Emma coolly descended the hospital stairs.

"We're free and clear," she smiled at the group, who all slouched in relief.

"That's great, Emma!" Mary Margaret beamed, clapping her hands together and resting on her husband's shoulder.

"Maybe now things can calm down and we can catch our breath!" David smiled, putting an arm around Mary Margaret. Emma slumped against the wall and looked at her parents. One problem down, two to go. Cora and Hook would have to wait until later, she needed a bath and a nap to recover from the curious case of Greg Mendell.

...

"Wait, so he like...summoned a fireball?! Dude!"

"He conjured it somehow, it looked like magic but maybe some kind of localized ignition? It wouldn't be the first time we've seen humans produce a similar effect."

"You think he's a mutant? Like Storm?"

"No idea, but the man he wanted to attack was dressed like some sort of pirate, and they both looked pissed. There was a girl with them too."

"Was she abnormal in any way?"

"No, she was..." Coulson paused. "Scared. Really scared. She kept screaming."

"Well, to be fair," Darcy interjected. "You did almost kill someone."

"Darcy!" snapped Jane.

"What?!"

"Phil's had a long day and you're being rude!"

"Well excuse me, Emily Post! This is a SHIELD call, not tea with the Sheffingtons."

"That's no excuse! He just had surgery!"

"Yeah, normal Earth surgery. The dude's tougher than concrete, he took a radioactive spear to the chest! He can take a little morbid humor. Family's allowed to give each other crap! Hill, help me out here!"

Coulson reclined in his hospital bed as the three agents bickered over his feelings on the other end of his phone. He listened to them argue as he smiled for the second time that night. Portland could wait a bit longer.

'Family, huh?'

...

"Where were you?!" Henry wailed, bolting down the stairs of the apartment as his mom and grandparents hobbled through the door.

"You were out all night!"

"Is cereal okay?" David asked, his expression haggard as he pulled three bowls from the cabinet.

"Rumplestiltskin and Captain Hook got into a fight and someone got hurt" Mary Margaret explained.

"Yeah," Emma smirked, absorbing the absurdity of her mother's sentence, not to mention the freaky cocoon of agelessness surrounding her newfound parents. "We weren't sure Dr. Frankenstein could fix him, but he did."

"Dr...Oh!" Henry beamed "Whale, so that's who he is."

"Luckily no bolts on his neck."

"That was his monster, not the doctor."

"Right," Emma resigned, resting her elbows clumsily on the table.

"Either way, some of us having known him..." she shot a sly smile at Mary Margaret. "It's still weird."

"What are you talking about?" asked Henry.

"Nothing." David sighed, handing Cheerios to his family.

"It's not weird! We've moved past it! It was the curse!" squeaked Mary Margaret, blushing a slight pink.

"Wait-"

"Really, Henry!" Emma cried after her son, who had darted to the living room. "It's nothing!"

David passed a spoon to Emma, who heartily dug into her cereal.

"Dr. Frankenstein isn't in this book! He's not even a fairy tale-" Henry panted, running back to the table with his massive leather book.

"Eat." Emma commanded, shoving a spoon into Henry's hands and flopping her head against the table. "I wanna go to bed."

"If the curse spread to other places-"

"Not now, sleepy time," mumbled Emma, burying her head into the oak varnished table.

"Who know's who else is in this town?"

Emma jerked upright when several sharp knocks sounded from the door. It swung open, revealing Mr. Gold looking agitated in the hallway.

"Gold," Emma began as she hobbled from her seat. "We've all had a long night-"

"Remember that favor you owe me, Miss Swan?" Gold barked, ignoring the Sheriff.

"I'm cashing it in."

"It's really not a good-"

"You do honor your agreements, don't you?" Gold continued, swaggering towards the Charming family with the air of his former self. Not a pawnbroker, but the infamous Dark One.

"I need to find someone, we're leaving today. Pack a bag."

"You're leaving?" Mary Margaret croaked. "But-"

"Finding who?" asked Emma, apprehensively staring down Gold.

He took a deep breath, leaning slightly on his cane before whispering,

"My son."

An icy silence filled the room, bouncing off the walls until Mr. Gold gritted his teeth in frustration.

"We need to leave soon, Miss Swan. Every minute I'm here is a minute closer to me killing Hook. So it's best for everyone involved if I leave, and you're coming with me."

David and Mary Margaret surrounded their daughter as Gold turned to leave.

"Oh, and one more thing," he chimed, swinging on his heel and raising a finger.

"We have a long history, David, Mary Margaret, so know this, and know it to be true.."

Mary Margaret stared in horror as Gold gripped his cane, the leather tightening around his knuckles.

"If any harm comes to Belle, I'm killing all of you. See you at noon."

* * *

_**So um, this is now COMPLETELY AU now that we know who Greg Mendell actually is. I'm rolling with my SHIELD theory until the end. Thank you so much for reading so far, the story really takes off after the next chapter, and goes in its own direction. The next chapter of Prime is taking a little extra time. I've Moffat'd and said 'SCREW ALL THE TIMELINES,' and now I have to tie them in neat little bows. Thanks for reading! See you next chapter! Same Bat-Time, same Bat-Website. Love, DC**_

_**PS: I'm on tumblr!**_


	4. Chapter 4

"Granny's Diner, how can I help you?"

"Miss Lucas," Gold began, nervously tapping his cane on the floor outside Mary Margaret's apartment.

"Hey there, 'Stilts, What's up?" Ruby asked cheerily, snapping her gum.

"It's about Belle. Could you check on her today?" Gold clenched his jaw nervously. "I'm flying out of town for a bit, and...don't think she wants to see me. Not after what happened last night."

"Wait, you're LEAVING?!" screeched Ruby, causing the entire diner to fall silent. Ruby waved a nonchalant hand at her customers and unhinged the phone from the wall, tiptoeing backwards into the adjacent supply closet.

"You mean you're crossing the town line? But-"

"I found a temporary solution. Look, Miss Lucas.." Gold sighed, and Ruby could hear the weariness in his voice.

"She's the best thing that's ever happened to me. Please, look after her while I'm in New York."

"Of course," Ruby smiled. "Belle's my friend, too. I was actually about to run a care package over, my lunch break is at 1:00."

"Could you-" Gold interrupted, fiddling nervously with his cane.

"Mmm?"

"Go to the library and pick up 'The Mysterious Island?' From her desk. She was reading it before the accident...it might jog her memory. I'm sorry to ask so much of you."

"Nonono it's cool," insisted Ruby, "but you'll owe me a favor."

Gold gritted his teeth. That shallow little-

"Eat a legit New York bagel for me. With cream cheese! Oh oh! and lox!"

-hyperactive puppy of a girl.

"Very well. Take care, Miss Lucas."

"See ya!"

Ruby hung up the phone. Rumplestiltskin was a devious, evil imp of a man who had swindled her and Granny for 28 years. However, his devotion to Belle was nothing short of heartwarming, and Ruby decided to cut him some slack after the incident at the hospital. He had tried to jog her memory, with more desperation than Ruby thought capable, and it ended horribly. On her way to the doorknob, her eyes glanced at a shoebox she labeled "DO NOT THROW OUT. EVER." Her lips curled into a slight smile as she peered at its contents. Inside were the remnants of Belle's cup. She never stopped telling Ruby the tale of her first night in Rumplestiltskin's manor. How Rumplestiltskin kept the cup she chipped for years after she left, and how he brought it to Storybrook and displayed it, proudly, in his shop.

Ruby found the shards in Belle's hospital room after Belle chucked it, terrified, against the wall.

"A little epoxy and you'll be good as new!" she cooed to the box before returning to work.

...

Pocketing his cell phone, Gold knocked on the door of the Charming's apartment. It swung open of its own accord.

"Are you ready, Miss Swan?" Gold asked impatiently, watching Emma cram a toiletry kit into her duffel bag.

"Do you think it will be cold or hot?" bubbled Henry, excited for the adventure before them. They were on a quest to find Baelfire, and they would get to be the heroes.

"Layers are best," sighed Emma as she pulled on her coat. Mr. Gold stared at the two, annoyed, as the boy clumsily shoved his head through a sweater.

"I thought the terms of our agreement were quite clear..." he chewed carefully on his words. "You owe me a favor; you alone."

"I'm not leaving Henry here with Cora lurking around every corner!" Emma glared, snapping her hands to her hips. "We all go, or you go alone."

"Well," Mr. Gold resigned, strangely proud of the savior's fire. "We'll have to purchase another plane ticket, won't we?"

"Wait-" Emma interjected, dropping her mama-bear stance in confusion.

"We're flying? It's only an eight hour drive..."

"Cool!" said Henry, smiling widely.

"I would like to reach Manhattan as quickly as possible," Gold explained, gripping his cane tightly. "I'm covering the expenses, of course." He looked over at Henry.

"Even the new ones."

David came barreling down the stairs, staring daggers at Rumplestiltskin.

"Alright, Gold." He began with the same parental fire as Emma.

"You're going out there with my family. If anything happens to them..."

"You'll what?!" Gold laughed. "Cross the town line, and David Nolan will come after me in his animal rescue van?"

"I'll be devastated."

Gold stopped laughing as Emma's father's eyes welled with concern.

"This isn't a threat. It's a request. Please, take care of them."

"I will," replied Gold. "After all, we have a deal."

...

Ruby inhaled a massive breath, gripping her care basket for Belle tightly. Her acrylic nails dug into the fibers of the handle as she swung the door of the psych ward's lounge.

"Hey, girl!" she chirped to her friend, who's massive eyes stared blankly until Ruby's smile faded.

"You...don't remember me at all, do you?"

"I'm sorry," her friend hiccuped. "I don't."

"Ruby Lucas." Ruby stretched her hand forward.

"I'm Lacey, but you probably know that."

Ruby dropped her hand.

"Lacey...?"

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"No, of course not! I'm uh...used to calling you 'Cee,' never knew your full name" Ruby lied. "You used to come into my granny's diner a lot. Anyway, I brought you a care package!"

Ruby opened the lid to her basket, revealing a neatly wrapped hamburger and fries.

"Hospital food sucks, doesn't it?"

Lacey nodded shyly and took the hamburger from the basket.

"T-thank you."

"And here," Ruby continued, pulling the book from her purse.

"You always talked about Jules Verne, and were reading this. You have good taste, Mysterious Island is my favorite!"

Lacey stopped unwrapping the hamburger and took the book.

"Were we really friends?"

"Yeah, we were."

"Then tell me the truth," she whispered, leaning close to Ruby.

"Before I was brought here, I was hurt. I was bleeding and this man..." Lacey began making violent hand gestures, imitating Rumplestiltskin.

"He healed me and made a fireball in his hands! How is that even possible?!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby saw the outsider approaching the lounge

"Tranqs can give you wicked nightmares." She dismissed, wanting desperately to tell her the truth. But it was too much of a liability with Crashy Mcgee up and about.

"No, I know what I saw!" said Lacey indignantly. "And I don't need any more tranquilizers-"

"Belle..." Ruby gently grabbed her wrist.

"Why does everyone call me that?!" Lacey screeched, snatching her hand away. "Who the fuck is Belle?!"

Out of nowhere, a nurse swooped in and restrained Lacey, shoving a needle into her arm. Lacey buckled into the nurse's embrace.

"Take it easy, hun."

Ruby stared, horrified, at her groggy friend.

"Has she been like this the whole time?" she choked.

"More or less, we keep her heavily sedated." The nurse sighed sadly, peering quickly at Greg as he entered the lounge.

"Alright, sweetie. Up you go. Back to bed."

Lacey mumbled as the nurse helped her hobble back to her room.

"Everything okay in here?" Coulson asked, wheeling is IV towards Ruby.

"Fine." Ruby snapped, realizing her harsh tone and wiping a tear from her eye.

"I'm sorry. Everything's okay. How are you Mr. Mendell?"

"Up and about," he smiled sightly.

"Well then, rest up!" said Ruby. "The sooner you recover, the sooner you can leave our sleepy little town."

With that, Ruby plucked the basket from the couch and marched out of the room.

"'Sleepy' my ass." Coulson grumbled silently as he shuffled his way back to his room, dragging his IV behind him.

...

"So where are we going?" asked Henry from the backseat of Gold's car. They had packed light, just the essentials.

"Logan International Airport." replied Gold absentmindedly, feeling the woolen scarf wrapped around his neck grow hot. It was his talisman, the one piece of magic that could retain his memories.

_'That could have saved Belle,'_ he thought angrily.

"I think he meant the one after that," Emma smirked, swigging a cup of much needed coffee. She was still exhausted after the Greg Mendell debacle, and the bags under her eyes had stung all morning.

"You really think that shawl's gonna work?"

"Well if it doesn't, and I revert to my cursed self, we're all going to have problems. It'll work."

The car began to shake violently as a blue light engulfed them, pain swelling in Gold's leg and chest. He stared, blankly, at the road in front of them.

"Well?" Emma asked,

"My name is Rumplestiltskin," Mr. Gold whispered. "And we're going to find my son."

...

Ruby looked through the window at Belle, sleeping soundly in her hospital bed. She quietly creeped to her bedside and placed the basket and book on her nightstand before ducking out. In the hallway, her phone started buzzing.

"Hey Granny," she chimed after hitting 'answer.'

"Sorry, got held up at the hosp-...no everything's fine. Went to visit Belle. I'm on my way-"

Coulson stopped in his tracks, hearing a recently familiar voice from around the corner.

"No Gold left. He's going to New York, flying into New York. No, didn't say why...No, I don't know why he didn't just drive...How would I know if the shawl worked?! I'll be back in twenty minutes, bye."

The girl punched a button on her phone and marched towards the exit. Coulson looked inside the girl's hospital room, noticing a phone on the table. She was the girl from the accident, that much was obvious. She was outcold, snoring softly into her pillow as Coulson wheeled his IV into the room. He took her phone and began scrolling through her pictures, looking for one of the older man from the accident. His heart lurched. He found pictures all right. The two of them on a picnic, at the library, smiling broadly in each other's arms, kissing one another, looking happier than any couple he'd met. He quickly forwarded one of the pictures to his phone.

'I'm so sorry.' he mouthed.

...

[Attachment Loading...]

(702:) The man from the accident is headed towards Manhattan. Get Logan Int. Airport and send them this pic. Send an air marshal on their flight.

(710:) And tell them what? They only send marshals for direct security threats. Besides, it's a regional flight.

(702:) You really want this guy on the loose? Remember the last magic act in Manhattan? Humor me, Maria. Something's up.

(710:) I'll send an intercept to their terminal in NY. Find out which airport their landing at.

(702:) Looked up Logan-NY flights, the earliest time lands at LaGuardia.

"Lewis!" groaned Hill, rubbing her temples. "How fast can you get to LaGuardia airport? We have a visitor."

"From here? 45 minutes if the subway doesn't suck." Darcy nodded, staring at the screen of Hill's phone. "This the fire guy?"

"Affirmative. We're out of available agents and we need someone..." Hill scanned Darcy scalp to toe, taking in her thick glasses and baggy blue sweater.

"Inconspicuous."

"Whatever," Darcy smiled, tossing her lab coat over a chair and swinging her leather jacket over her shoulders. "Should I bring him in or just tail with updates?"

"The latter. We don't know if this guy is even a threat."

"Okee Dokee," Darcy exhaled, looking at Jane, who was fully immersed at her computer.

"Be sure to feed her, and make sure her water bowl is full."

"I heard that," muttered Jane from her desk, swigging cold coffee.

"Oh-" Darcy paused in the doorway. "I have guard duty. If I'm not back by 8:15-"

"I'll send Pryce."

"Okay..." Darcy sighed, hoping it wouldn't come to that. Jo Pryce was a decent nurse, but...not the best people person. Loki would eat her alive.

...

"You good, kid?" Emma smiled as she bucked her seat belt. Her, Gold, and Henry had made it through tiresome airport security, an event that almost got them arrested on assault charges, and onto flight 53 to New York city.

"You bet!" Henry beamed, eagerly looking at his cinnabon. "The only thing that would make today better is more frosting."

Emma peered to her right at Gold, who sat eerily quiet. His hands gripped the seats, knuckles white.

"Is everything okay, sir?" bubbled a stewardess performing security checks, noticing Gold's apprehension.

"We're fine," interjected Emma, leaning over to talk to the stewardess. "My um...father is nervous about flying. We're going to a family reunion."

"Very well," said the stewardess, continuing her rounds.

"Hey..." Emma whispered to Gold. "You okay?"

"Father? Really?" sneered Gold, attempting to mask his nerves. Emma ignored him.

"Hey, it's gonna be ok," whispered Emma comfortingly, placing her hand on Gold's.

"I know..."

"Ladies and Gentlemen," chimed the intercom, startling both of them.

"Welcome to Ajira Airlines, Flight 53 nonstop to LaGuardia Airport. Our flight time tonight is 42 minutes. Please sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride."

...

Lacey's eyes unscrewed as she pulled her robe tightly around herself. She was quite sick of the sedatives. With nothing to do, she picked up 'The Mysterious Island' from her nightstand and cracked the cover.

The text inside, however, was not Jules Verne. It was an ancient looking, handwritten diary. On the first page read:

Feburary 13th,

_I am packing my trunk now, about to depart for The Dark One's estate. I made a deal with him to save my family, my people, and now I am to be his caretaker. I am frightened, frightened beyond all measure._

_But I will do the brave thing, and hopefully bravery will follow._

_-Belle._

* * *

**Wow, the response on this fic is amazing. Thank you so much! Jo from AoW is making a cameo, because I can't justify any of the main SHIELDies doing internship stuff, not to mention Darcy being the only intern in ALL OF SHIELD.**

**So yeah, um...going completely off canon from now. Now that we know who Greg is, Tamara, etc. I can't adapt to this shit.**

**Thank you for reading, love you all!**

**-DC**


	5. Chapter 5

"What's wrong? Is this the right place?" Emma asked, slouching into her posture and folding her arms.

"Yes, it is'" said Gold, gripping tightly to his cane.

"Let me guess, he isn't expecting you? Well, who doesn't love a surprise?"

Emma let the silence marinate a bit longer before peering into the lobby window. She focused her vision instead to the reflection, in which a few locks of brown curls peeked from an adjacent shrub.

They were being followed.

(505:) They're at 23rd and 6th, they're just standing there.

(710:) They?

(505:) Yeah, there's an entourage with him. Blonde chick and a kid. The woman kinda looks like Cameron from House.

Darcy crouched low behind the perfectly trimmed Manhattan shrub, peering one bespectacled eye through the branches at the mystery trio. It wasn't just the man at the airport, but an incredibly pretty woman and a kid. His daughter and grandson? May-December wife and son?

Darcy strained her ears to hear their conversation over the city traffic.

"No Baelfire." The boy shrugged, peering on tiptoes at the apartment buzzer.

"Yeah, that wouldn't fly as an alias." Cameron sighed. "Your magic globe didn't give you an apartment number, Gold?"

'Magic Globe' had to be slang for something. Also, who were they looking for? "Bail Fire?" It sounded like a street name, maybe something involving drugs or...

"-names are what I traffic in. But sadly, no."

Human trafficking. That was it.

"Here's your boy," the woman said abruptly, tapping one of the buzzer buttons.

"-No. It could just be vacant."

"Trust me," the woman groaned, pressing the buzzer repeatedly "UPS delivery."

Silence.

(505:) Hill something's going on. Some kind of drug or slave trade.

(710:) Lewis, relax. They were all clear at the airport. Nothing suspicious. A good agent never acts rashly.

(555:) I'm not an agent! D:

(710:) You work for SHIELD, you're an agent.

(555:) If I'm an agent, where's my dental insurance?

(710:) When you've earned it, kid.

Emma exasperatedly stopped pressing the buzzer, until a sudden clang caught her attention. Someone was barreling down the fire escape and down the alley

"He's running!"

"That favor you owe me. This is it. Get him to talk to me. I can't run!"

"Watch Henry. I'll be back!"

Emma chased the hooded man down several back alleys, her choice of footwear not hindering her speed as she finally lurched, knocking the man to the ground. His hood flipped back,

"No..." Emma whispered. "Neal?"

"Emma..." Neal scampered backwards in shock.

"I don't understand. What are you doing here?!

"What am I doing here?!" Emma screeched, scrambling to her feet and brushing off her coat. "I'm not answering anything until you tell me the truth. Are you Gold's son?!"

"What are you talking about? Who's Gold?"

"You played me!" Emma spat, tears rolling down her cheeks. "You're from there. You played me. And he played me. You both played me! You and Gold!"

"Whoa, Emma, slow down!" What are you talking about? Who's Gold?

"Your father!" She spat. "Rumpelstiltskin!"

...

"Wait. Gold's _son_ is Henry's _father_?"

"I know. I know. And the millions of questions you have, I have, too. The problem is it doesn't matter right now because I don't know what to do!" Emma cried into her phone receiver, hoping for some maternal advice from Mary Margaret.

"Please tell me you're not calling for me to support not telling him about Henry..."

"Henry thinks his father is dead!" Emma wheezed, panic attack taking hold. "I told him that for a reason. I wanna protect him..."

"Emma," Mary Margaret began, trying to calm her daughter. "Breathe, and listen to me. No matter what this man did, Henry has a right to know who his father is. The truth about your parents- Emma, you of all people should know how important that is."

"I don't want Henry to get hurt."

"Are you sure this is about protecting Henry and not yourself?"

Emma bit her lip.

"I just want to protect him."

"I know, sweetheart." Mary Margaret sighed. "It will all work itself out, we're all family after all."

"I'll call you tonight."

"Talk to you then..."

Mary Margaret hung up her phone and flipped it shut before returning to her coffee at Granny's, taking a long, sobering gulp.

"Everything alright, Snow?" David asked, leaning over his meatloaf to squeeze his wife's hand.

"You'll never believe what just happened."

...

"Apply tiny amount to affected area and press objects together firmly..." Ruby squinted at the microscopic print on the superglue bottle, sorting through the pieces of broken teacup on the diner counter.

"W-w-w-wait...Rumpelstiltskin is Henry's _GRANDFATHER_?!" David shrieked, causing the entire diner to turn.

"Apparently," Mary Margaret sighed, sipping her coffee. Ruby put down the cup shards and rushed over, coffee pot in hand.

"So his... step-grandmother is Regina?" Ruby asked, refilling Mary Margaret's mug.

"Actually, his step-great-grandmother." she clarified. "And she's also his adoptive mother."

"It's a good thing we don't have thanksgiving in our land," David exhaled. "That dinner would *suck*."

"Or... Maybe this will mellow everyone out?" pointed out Mary Margaret. "Think about it, we're all family now. You, Me, Emma, Henry, Rumpelstiltskin, Regina, isn't that all we've ever wanted? All of us?"

"Family isn't a cure-all," Ruby sighed. "Remember my mom?"

"Unfortunately," Mary Margaret bit her lip.

"Is that all for you guys? Any dessert or just the check?" chimed Ruby, switching back to waitress mode.

"Just the check, thanks."

...

Gold fumbled through his wallet nervously as they waited in line at a nearby hot dog stand.

"Don't worry, Emma's really good at catching people." Henry smiled reassuringly at Gold.

"Well, my son's been running away for a very long time now. And I have a feeling he's equally adept at it."

"Well, at least we found him, right?"

"Indeed." Gold smiled, handing him a hot dog.

"Thanks," Henry beamed, looking up from his lunch.

"You are quite welcome. And thank you."

"For what?" asked Henry as they meandered back to the apartment.

"Well, if it wasn't for you bringing Emma to Storybrooke, none of this would have come to pass. You... are a remarkable young man.

"You know... I forgave her. Emma... for giving me up." said Henry. "She thought it was the best for me then. That's why she did it. I'm sure your son will get it too."

Gold sighed. "Alas, the circumstances surrounding our separation weren't quite so noble."

"But you're here now. And you want him back, right?"

"More than anything."

"Then that's all that matters."

"Oh, and Dearie...?" Gold raised his voice, turning to look straight at Darcy's shrub.

"Best be moving along...nothing to see here."

Darcy stood up, embarrassed, from her hiding place.

"Oh, I'm just from Parks and Recreation Services," Darcy lied. "Making sure all the greens are up to code, not dead and such."

"The trees at the airport as well?" Gold hissed, causing Darcy to sweat.

"You've been following us from baggage claim, don't pretend otherwise."

"What's going on?" Henry gulped nervously. "Is she going to take us away? Is she a cop?"

"A cop? Seriously?" Darcy laughed, "Please, my taser is barely street legal."

"Well, then. What do you want?!" snapped Gold. Darcy sighed, this wasn't in her job description.

"My name's Darcy, I'm a scientist with SHIELD." She explained, exasperatedly pulling her ID card from her wallet. "I don't want any trouble, I just have a few questions."

Gold's mouth twitched in anger. "Questions about what, exactly?"

"Mr. Gold, calm down!" Henry grabbed his arm. "SHIELD are the good guys, we can trust her!"

"Smart kid," Darcy smiled slyly at Henry.

"Have you met Captain America?!"

"A few times..." said Darcy, attempting to play it cool.

"Miss, I think you'd better be on your way," Gold glared at the intern.

"One hour?" Darcy begged. "Look, I'm not good at the forceful stuff, but look at me. You could take me down in ten seconds. Let me buy you some ice cream, can we just talk? We can even do it in the open. Right here."

"Please, Mr. Gold? Maybe she can help with Cora!"

"Darce!" Jane called, running down the sidewalk. "I came as soon as I saw Hill's message."

"Jane, perfect timing, meet our mystery man."

"Hi, I'm Dr. Foster," beamed Jane, extending her hand towards Gold.

"Wait, YOU'RE Jane Foster?!" squealed Henry. "I read all about you when researching the curse!"

"Curse?" Jane blinked. "Pardon me?"

"Um...nothing." Henry blushed and looked at his feet.

"You're too eager, Dearie. If you want to haul me away for experimentation, I suggest you cut the formalities."

"Oh, no, nothing like that." Jane waved her hand nonchalantly. "Can I buy you a coffee?"

"I'm afraid we're a little busy at the moment, Miss Foster." Gold hissed, looking down the block as Emma trudged, teary eyed, up the city block.

"He got away..." Emma gulped. "Who the hell are these guys?"

"Government researchers attempting to dissect us all," explained Gold, his voice ending on a pitch reminiscent of his Rumpelstiltskin persona.

"No, Emma. They're the good guys!"

"Sheriff Swan," Emma glared, looked the scientists up and down.

"And you two?"

Jane quickly flashed her badge to Emma.

"SHIELD, huh?" Emma pursed her lips. "You know there's still a massive crater where Grand Central used to be. You should get on that."

"Not my department," Jane sighed, pocketing her badge. "We registered a large Gamma reading from your town, Sheriff, and now one of our own is stuck in the hospital."

"Greg Mandell?"

"Actually, his name is Phil." Darcy clarified.

"Look, we really don't have time for this." Gold snapped, tapping his cane impatiently on the sidewalk. "Please, this does not concern you."

"Actually, it does," Henry interjected. "Mr. Gold, Dr. Foster was the one who discovered the wormhole in New Mexico. The one Thor came through."

"Kid, you need to get off the internet..." Emma grabbed Henry's arm and pulled him close.

"He's right, we had contact with Asgard a few years ago. And now something similar is happening, with Maine." Jane stepped forward, mustering up as much authority as a woman in Puma sneakers could. "Sheriff Swan, whether you like it or not, this is a matter of international security. You all are on SHIELD's radar, and there's no getting off. Now, your town hasn't displayed any hostile tendencies as of yet, which is why we can do this the easy way. One hour. Please."

Emma opened her mouth when she saw a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye. Neal had put a hand on her shoulder,

"Let's continue this inside, shall we?"

...

"So, what does the almighty SHIELD want this time?" Neal asked, handing a chipped mug to Jane before taking his seat in a dilapidated arm chair.

"I thought we were done. Some guy came to my house six years ago and gave me the all-clear. Said he was a liaison, and that if I kept my head down, he wouldn't bother him again."

"We're actually here for Mr. Gold," explained Darcy. "We want to know what's going on in Storybrooke."

"You'll never believe us if we told you," chuckled Emma, folding her arms.

"Emma, a Nordic deity crashed at my office for three weeks. I can handle it."

"The town is full of fairy tale characters."

"Fairy tales? As in Rumpelstiltskin?" Darcy asked.

"Present and accounted for," Gold drawled, staring out the window.

"DUDE! I'm a huge fan. You totally got ripped off by that millers daughter-"

"Darcy!" Jane swatted Darcy's arm.

"Right, professionalism. So your alternate Epcot universe got stranded in Maine."

"Pretty much," said Emma, sipping her coffee. "But that Gamma reading, that was probably when my mother and I got stuck in an alternate dimension, then came back."

"Wait, you created portals at will?" Jane's ears perked.

"Not easily," Emma sighed. "And it's dangerous, we brought some...uninvited guests back with us."

...

"So, kid," Neal asked, handing Henry a hot chocolate. "How old are you?"

"Eleven, why?"

"No reason..."

...

_"You left me... And let me go to prison because Pinocchio told you to?!"_

_"Emma"_

_"I loved you!"_

_The two were seated inside a quiet bar, trying to make sense of their reunion._

_"I was trying to help you..." whispered Bae._

_"By letting me go to jail."_

_"By getting you home."_

_"Are you telling me..." Emma spluttered, "That us meeting was a coincidence? How the hell did that happen if it wasn't in your plan or your father's?!"_

_"Think about it." Neal began. "He wanted you to break the curse. Us meeting, that could've stopped it. Maybe it was fate."_

_"You believe in that?"_

_"You know, there's not a ton I remember about my father that doesn't suck," He sighed, taking a swig of whiskey. "But he used to tell me that there are no coincidences. Everything that happens happens by design, and there's nothing we can do about it. Forces greater than us conspire to make it happen. Fate, destiny, whatever you want to call it, the point is, maybe we met for a reason. Maybe something good came from us being together."_

_"Neal..." Emma began, swallowing heavily. "I need to tell you something..."_

_..._

"You like cinnamon too?" Henry asked, surprised by the hint of spice in his cocoa.

"From time to time," Neal smiled.

...

_"I haven't told him, about you." Emma explained. "I told him his father died, I just couldn't-"_

_"-tell him his dad's a crook who abandoned you?" Neal sighed. "Emma, I'm sorry. If I had known..."_

_"Well, you didn't know. So, that's that." Emma stood up, abruptly brushing herself off. "Well, I'm over it."_

_"Emma..."_

_"So, we're agreed." said Emma. "You got away, I couldn't catch you, and now you don't have to see your father."_

_"Fine." Neal rose from his stool, dropping some bills on the counter. "Take care of yourself, ok?"_

...

Gold rested both hands atop his cane and stared at the room. This was far from the reunion he was expecting. Still, it wasn't a screaming match. He had found his son, that was all that mattered. These frivolous strangers were nothing he couldn't handle if the time came.

If only he could tell Belle.

...

Lacey curled up in her hospital bed, flipping through the diary.

'It has only been a few weeks since I came to The Dark Castle. I'm sitting in the grand hall, waiting for my master to realize I set loose his prisoner. Oh, this should be an interesting adventure...'

'You snarky little badass' Lacey thought, a smile curling on her lips.

A sharp tapping on the door stirred Lacey from her reading. She looked up to see a sharply dressed woman with red nails.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"So it is true..." began the woman. "You really don't remember anything."

"Are we friends?"

"We spent some time together. But I'm here because I believe you can help me find something that belongs to Rumpelstiltskin."

"Who?"

"Mr. Gold."

"I, uh, I don't know him..."

Regina waved her hand delicately and Lacey hit the pillow.

"Not anymore. But you did, didn't you?" Regina cooed. She waved her hand again, causing Lacey's purse to open. The contents bounced into the air as Regina plucked a yellow index card from the mess of lipstick and loose change.

...

"Well, Sheriff, thank you so much for your cooperation! We'll get a proper evaluation team to Storybrooke as soon as we can." Jane stood from her seat and moved to shake Emma's hand.

"Yeah, and you'll keep it quiet, right? Everyone's paranoid about outsiders getting involved."

"Of course, discretion is a must. SHIELD isn't one to make a big show of anything."

"You mean besides Midtown?" Darcy added, causing Emma to snort.

Jane's phone began to ring.

"Phil!" Jane exclaimed, tucking the phone between her ear and shoulder as she gathered up files. "You doing ok?"

"Yeah, they said I'm good to go."

"Great, we actually have the Sheriff here. We're going to send a proper team so you can get some rest."

"I think I'm gonna stay here for a little while."

"What? Phil, no. You need-"

"Take a look at this."

Jane heard a ping and removed her phone from her ear. Looking at the screen, she saw video of a woman telekinetically sifting through an unconscious girl's purse.

"Regina..." Emma whispered.

"What's going on?" asked Gold, moving towards the group.

"She paid Belle a visit."

Emma handed the phone to Gold.

"That little...Oh she'll pay for this. She _and _Cora."

"What was she after?" Henry asked.

"The dagger...they know where it is!"

"Wait, what's happening?" Neal rushed over at the mention of his father's dagger.

"Nothing good." Gold snapped, making his way towards the door.

"We need to get back to Storybrooke immediately before-"

The door swung open, revealing none other than Hook.

"Hello, Crocodile..."

In a flash, He impaled Rumpelstiltskin with his hook, piercing his heart. Rumpelstiltskin staggered backward, falling on the sofa, the pain coursing through his veins.

"Papa..." cried Neal, rushing to his father's side. Emma ran forward, punching Hook square in the jaw. Hook recoiled slightly, and smiled.

"Why Emma, good to see-"

His smooth greeting was cut short. A burst of lightning shot from Darcy's taser as she plugged it firmly into his side. Hook hit the floor, unconscious.

"It's poison, that bastard poisoned his hook." Gold spluttered, sweat pooling at his brow.

"Someone grab me a rope!" Darcy commanded, rolling Hook over on his side. "And some Ziploc bags. We need to disarm him and I ain't touchin' that hook with bare skin."

"I'm calling Hill, we need a medical team stat," Jane began dialing her phone.

"No, we need to get back to Storybrooke!" panicked Gold.

"We don't have time, we're getting you help." Emma barked. She wasn't going to lose any more family.

"I'll get us a car," Neal grabbed his coat.

"Henry, there's a first aid kit in the bathroom. Dr. Foster, stay with my dad okay?"

"I-I'm not that kind of doctor!" Jane stammered.

"Well, dearie, can you pretend?"

"Got the kit! Found some tape, too" said Henry, running back from the bathroom and opening the box before handing the tape to Darcy. Jane dawned some latex gloves and applied gauze to Gold's wound.

"Darcy, the ambulance will be here in ten minutes. Can you wait outside and flag them down?"

"Roger that," Darcy nodded, firmly securing duct tape bindings on Hook before following Neal and Emma out the apartment door.

...

"What are you doing?" Emma asked, following Neal hurriedly down the apartment stairs.

"Getting us a car. We can't all fit in an ambulance...I can't believe Hook found us."

"Wait, you know him?"

"Let's just say this wasn't my first stop after The Enchanted Forest." The two ran down the street into a posh row of brownstones.

"Speaking of first-stops. SHIELD?"

"I was in hiding, they found me, they let me go. That's it. They have us all tracked, all the outsiders." said Neal, waving his hand dismissively. "What's with the buddy-buddy act with Foster, anyway? Doesn't seem like you to ask for help, to trust total strangers."

"It's for Henry," said Emma, stopping abruptly. "Storybrooke won't stay a secret for long, it's best to do it on _our_ terms. Not theirs. Plus, after Hook and Cora, the town isn't safe anymore. Who knows what else is out there..."

"Here's our ride," said Neal, approaching a silver van.

"Don't tell me you're going to hot-wire this thing..." Emma groaned.

"No, it belongs to a friend."

"A friend? Generous friend..."

Neal crouched down to the rims, pulling a set of keys from inside.

"Neal!" sounded a feminine voice from behind them. A tall, waif of a woman in designer clothes began scuttling towards them in too high heels.

"Thank goodness I caught you! Everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine." said Neal, embracing the woman. "Little last minute business trip."

"I got a little worried," she exhaled, placing a hand to her chest. "You can't just say you're leaving town for a bit. Anyway, who's your friend?" She extended an arm towards Emma, who's quizzical expression could be seen from space.

"Hi, I'm Tamara, Neal's fiancee."

_**Dun dun dun...**_

_**So yeah, I changed aspects of the original episode besides the obvious. I wanted to see how the story would play out if Emma told Neal in the first place. Now Henry doesn't know (yet,) and their first reunion wasn't an All My Children screaming match. Plenty of drama awaits, however! **_

_**Thanks for reading so far, hopefully the next chapter won't be after this long of a wait.**_

_**Love,**_

_**DC**_


	6. Chapter 6

….

"We're almost there," said Jane, turning her head to the backseat of the borrowed car. Neal and Emma sat silently with Henry in the middle, kicking his leg nervously against the cluttered passenger seat. It was stacked high with thick books and manila envelopes, too messy for any civilized person to occupy. As a result, Mother, Father, and Son sat cooped up in the back like the worst Christmas card ever.

"I'm going to warn you now," began Jane. "You are going into the main base of a top secret military organization. I luckily have a high enough clearance to get you guys in, but you are going to be trailed with guards until Mr. Gold is ready to be discharged. There will be questions, paperwork, and probably blood tests. It's going to be a long night."

"Fantastic," groaned Emma. She still hadn't recovered from her all nighter at the Storybrooke Hospital.

"Um, Mom?" sniffed Henry, clearly terrified. "What's going to happen to Storybrooke if SHIELD finds out about it? Is everyone gonna be taken away? Is Mr. Gold gonna be alright?! Is he gonna die?"

"Oh, Henry..." Emma breathed, pulling a bawling Henry into a one-armed hug. "We're gonna make sure everything is okay."

Not even Emma could convince herself that was true.

…

"Lewis, what's your ETA?"

"About ten minutes, but this poison is ridiculous. I've never seen anything like it, Hill."

"You mean in your four years of Liberal Science training?"

"Ignoring that." Darcy groaned, carefully sterilizing a needle with alcohol. "Anyway, it's apparently a magically formed poison," she continued. "We need to transfer him immediately to an area that voids all magic so nothing goes catastrophic. Put a massive band aid this until we know what we're dealing with"

Agent Hill gulped.

"You mean?"

"Yep." Darcy groaned, fishing through EMT bags for more gauze. "We need to lock Mr. Gold up with _him."_

"You've _got_ to be kidding me."

"I'm not," sighed Darcy. "Should we start buttering the popcorn now?"

"This getting too out of hand," Maria snarled. She leaned against her desk and clutched her forehead, gritting her teeth.

"Fury can't know. He put me and charge of the Rosenbridge project and he'll skin me alive for going along with this. We need to keep this quiet, invisible underlings only. I'll send Jo to the parking lot to meet you. We'll smuggle him in set him up in...there."

"I resent that underlings comment," Darcy sighed. "But you're right, at the lowest levels of the totem pole, nobody will notice. I'm on for guard duty anyway, I have clearance to get in and out."

"Coulson owes us so hard for this," Hill grumbled before hanging up the phone.

….

"Apply glue to object A and press firmly against object B..."

Ruby's gaze snapped away from her project to the entrance of Granny's diner. It was 3:00 in the afternoon on a Thursday, the pinnacle of lulls. She rolled her eyes when Greg Mendell hobbled towards the register clad in a worn leather jacket, plaid shirt, and khakis.

_Great, just as I had a spare minute to work on this..._

"Table for one?"

"Anywhere's fine, Mr. Mendell," Ruby glared, not looking up from the box of cup shards as she pulled a menu from under the counter, handing it to him.

Coulson looked around at the eerily deserted diner, every seat available. He decided to rise to the challenge, and sat directly in front of Ruby at the counter. She clumsily tried to adhere two pieces of broken porcelain together, only to feel the glue melt all over her manicure.

"Urgh!"

"You know, if you let the glue sit for ten seconds, it's easier." Coulson mused, perusing over the lunch specials.

Ruby slammed the tube of glue on the table, drawing a long, frustrated breath.

"Would you like to start off with something to drink?" She grumbled, pulling an order pad from her apron.

"Iced tea, please." Coulson smiled bemusedly at the time bomb of a waitress. He recognized her from the hospital, and sat at the diner fully aware of her suspicions.

"Sweetened or unsweetened?" Ruby asked, pen digging into the pad.

"Sweetened," Coulson shut his menu, looking at the waitress. "I'm going to need it to hide the inevitable taste of spit in my beverage."

"Look-" Ruby drew a manicured index finger like a pistol,"I don't trust you,"

"You made that very clear the other day in the waiting room, Ruby."

Ruby froze, feeling violated at the use of her Storybrooke name.

"You know my name? Who are you, what do you want with our town?!" She snapped, brandishing her pen like a dagger.

"You're wearing a name tag," he smiled, nodding slightly at Ruby's sweater.

"...Oh."

Ruby slowly lowered her pen.

"Um...this isn't going to affect my tip, is it?"

…

"How are you feeling, Mr. Gold?" Darcy asked, latex-gloved hands pressing gauze into Gold's wound, attempting to slow the bleeding.

"Peachy keen, what do you think?!" Gold snapped, swallowing hard in an attempt to ignore the burning poison in his veins. The medic began readying a syringe of morphine, but Darcy cleared her throat violently.

"Ixnay on the Orphinemay" she hissed through her teeth. "We gave him three times the standard dose, it's not doing anything."

"Miss, I'm a professionally trained medical practitioner, I think-"

"And I worked the ER on D-Day!" Darcy snapped. "I've logged enough field hours to tell when we're going to kill someone."

"But he's already dying!"

Darcy took the syringe and threw it in the bio hazard bin.

"Now, Dearie," he sneered, wheezing heavily as he grabbed Darcy's wrist. She "If I can't even take an advil, you'd best have a backup plan to distract me from the pain."

"Um..." Darcy bit her lip.

"Told ya."

"Shut up, Doogie."

Gold screamed in agony as the poison took hold, his hand contorting painfully around Darcy's wrist. She shrieked and attempted to pry it loose.

"Once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-castle-by-a-waterfal l?!" She squeaked.

"It was pink and purple and a princess lived there!" Darcy continued, struggling to remember the story. "She was all alone and had no parents. She was cool with it. After all, she was known across the land as 'The Princess who Saved Herself.'"

Gold dropped Darcy's hand and screwed his eyes shut. He tried to imagine the castle, the princess.

Belle...

"His vitals are steadying," interrupted the medic. "Keep going."

"Then a big dragon came to the castle!" Darcy continued. "He tried to scare the princess, and burn her castle to the ground. But the princess caught him and tied him to a tree. She gave the dragon a big telling off and made him apologize for his wickedness.

_"I missed."_

_"That arrow has magic, it never misses it's target."_

_"I'm...bored of this forest."_

_"Come on, Rumplestiltskin...let's go home."_

"She offered him tea, and then they became best friends."

_"You kept it, all these years...my chipped cup!"_

_"Out of all the items in this shop, it is the only one I truly cherish..."_

Darcy offered her hand to Gold as the medic began sewing his wound shut. He squeezed hard, nearly breaking her fingers from the pain of the needle.

"C'mon, the great and powerful Rumplestiltskin is afraid of a few stitches?" Darcy teased.

"The poison amplifies pain, don't patronize me," Gold wheezed.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

...

Ruby returned from the kitchen with an iced tea refill and an egg salad sandwich, There sat her customer, fiddling with pieces inside her precious shoe box.

"Hey!" she snapped, slamming the tray on the counter and snatching the glue tube out of Coulson's hand.

"Don't touch that! What are you-"

She stopped, however, when she saw the cup perfectly assembled, cracks practically invisible.

"I'm sorry, but you're missing a piece here at the lip" said Coulson, watching Ruby's mouth hang like a Tex Avery cartoon.

"I was gone for two minutes." Ruby marveled. "I've been playing with that cup since six this morning, and you fixed it in two minutes?"

"I like puzzles," Coulson shrugged, reaching for his sandwich.

"There isn't antifreeze in this, is there?"

"Seriously?! " Ruby screeched."Who are you, Rain Man?"

"Only part time," said Coulson, ignoring the steam pouring out of Ruby's ears.

"So, what's so important about a dingy cup, anyway?" He asked, sipping his tea.

"It's uh-" Ruby spluttered, pulling her emotions back to earth and calming down.

"It's uh, for a friend."

"You're friend at the hospital,"

"Yeah..." Ruby sighed, placing the cup carefully on the shelf behind her. "Her name is Belle, but she's a little confused right now."

"I'm sorry," Coulson exhaled, knowing full well about the girl in the psych ward. He sipped his iced tea and looked at his waitress. She was wolf-like in her instincts and her loyalty to her friends. Like a younger, more flashily dressed Maria Hill.

"So you're certainly discharged early-" Ruby raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow, staring Coulson up and down. "When we found you, the doc said you'd be out for weeks."

"I'm semi-discharged," Coulson explained. "I'm healing faster than Whale anticipated, so they're putting me on probationary discharge. I have to report back in about forty minutes."

"Yeah, like freaky healing powers fast." Ruby gawked at her customer. "That isn't normal."

"Well, Ruby," Coulson chortled. "Something tells me this entire town isn't exactly normal."

Ruby froze.

"What do you mean...not normal?" she stammered, hiding her trembling hands under the counter.

"Believe me, Ruby. Nothing in this world is normal," he smiled weakly, thumbing through some bills and handing Ruby a $20.

"I'd best be getting back, Dr. Whale has me on a tight leash. Keep the change."

"I'll drive you. It's not like the place is hopping or anything, and I have an errand to run," said Ruby, grabbing her coat and keys. Something was so terrifyingly dodgy with their stranger, and she was not letting him loose. Her stint as Deputy with Emma had taught her to follow her instincts, and she was going to follow them as far as they'd take her.

"That would be nice, actually." said Coulson. Ruby was obviously onto his charade. She was sharp, had good instincts, but a severe lack of tact and discipline. Also, her defensiveness was his strongest lead so far.

"Thank you, Ruby."

"No problem." Ruby said dismissively, wrapping the cup in paper towels and tucking it into her purse.

...

"Regina, Darling, we have a problem."

"What is it, Mother?" Regina asked, joining her mother on the sofa of her office.

"This," Cora whispered, pulling the Dark One's dagger from her jacket. Rumplestiltskin's name was fading from the blade.

"The Dark One is dying, we don't have much time before all that power just...disperses."

"Hook went to find Rumplestiltskin, does this mean he succeeded in killing him?" Regina asked, staring worriedly at the dagger. She hoped Henry was safe, and that Emma was rotting in Hell.

"It would appear so, but the fading is slow. We can be comforted by the fact Rumplestiltskin is dying a slow, painful death. That will give us time to find a solution."

Cora took her daughter's hand and smiled. "I promise, my darling, I will get your son back for you. Then we can be one happy family..."

_**Dun dun dun...**_

_**So that's chapter 6. In the next chapter our heroes will reach SHIELD and try to smuggle Gold in to avoid troubles with Fury. That should be interesting. Also, I wrote the Ruby/Coulson scene for later in the story, but I wanted to move things along. I kind of like their dynamic, two people who are essentially playing Schrodinger's Cat with each other's identities.**_

_**I've been getting so many lovely comments and favorites. They make my day! Thank you so much. AND PLEASE DON'T POST AS A GUEST SO I CAN REPLY! I've wanted to write replies but everyone is writing as a guest. Let me love you ;_;**_

_**DC**_


	7. Chapter 7

"Garage seven, this is Darcy Lewis ID number seven-seven-double-oh-three-four-eight, requesting permission to park."

"Copied, this garage seven ready to accept your vehicle, over and out."

"Love you, Gary!"

"Any time, dollface."

Darcy pocketed her phone in her leather jacket and dawned a fresh pair of latex gloves. The medic did the same, and with a shared nod, they grasped Gold's stretcher and kicked open the ambulance doors. There stood Gary, the security guard, rifle slung over his shoulder as he helped steady them out of the truck and onto the pavement.

"The tape loop should last you thirty minutes, you can thank Hannah in surveillance for that. Everyone's focused on some mumbo jumbo over at Stark's mansion. Nobody will notice you."

"What's Stark done now?" Darcy asked, the three wheeling through the doors into the medical bay.

"He gave his address to a known terrorist, now there's some big showdown going on. Not so good for him, lucky for you guys."

The three swung open the aluminum doors into the sick bay, only to be greeted by Director Nick Fury and a grumbling Maria Hill, Jane, and Storybrooke company cowering behind them.

"You three. My office, now."

"B-but Director..."

"NOW, Dr. Foster."

Jane hung her head in defeat and reached out for Darcy's hand.

"C'mon, kiddo, let's take our medicine," she sighed, slumping behind Fury and following him and Maria through an ominous set of double doors.

"Mr. Chambers, please escort our visitors to the proper terminal," Maria hissed indigently, staring down Fury as she marched behind.

"Miss Lewis, you have a job to do, do you not?"

Darcy breathed the most relieved sigh in history as she helped the medic usher Emma, Neal, and Henry through the back of the hospital.

"Dammit Phil," Darcy muttered under her breath. "If I get fired and have to work double shifts at Dairy Queen because of this..."

...

Jane and Maria sat like ducks in a carnival shooting game, watching Fury slam his hands angrily on his desk.

"Y'all think you can just sneak in some civilians without me NOTICING? How stupid can you be?"

Maria opened her mouth to speak.

"That was rhetorical, Agent Hill. Sending non-trained operatives into a potentially deadly situation? Blowing your identities to a complete stranger from a town that doesn't actually exist? Misuse of SHIELD resources? You're lucky I don't have you two fired. You want to go back to chasing storms in New Mexico, Dr. Foster? I can make that happen!"

"No, sir..."

"Good!'

"Director, I was following direct orders from Agent Coulson."

"I'm aware, Agent Hill," Fury barked, "you think he wouldn't have reported in?"

Their silence answered his question.

"Now, while you were obviously violating every protocol on the books...what did you find out?"

...

Neal sat at the edge of his waiting room seat, drumming his heel against the slick tile floor while the two waited for news on Mr. Gold.

"He's gonna be fine," Emma breathed, patting him lightly on the back.

"Em, he's my..he's my dad. Even though he did all those horrible things, I still...ya know?"

"I know, Neal, I know..."

"Where's Henry?" Neal asked, trying to regain composure.

"I gave him some singles and sent him to the vending machine," Emma assured him. "Poor kid hasn't eaten all day, I figure old Twinkies are better than nothing, right?"

"That's some grade-A parenting right there," Neal laughed.

"Oy, that's rich coming from you, Oh son-of-Rumplestiltskin!"

Henry tiptoed down the hall, rice krispy treat in hand, until he froze at the sound of his mom's voice.

"I need to tell Henry the truth, will you help me?"

"So, now you want me in his life?"

"You're already in his life, Neal." Emma exhaled, slumping in her seat. "Let's face it, a version of you absent doesn't exist anymore. I need to suck it up and actually be a mom now. Henry thinks I'm some big hero, ya know? This...savior, something I'm not. But I wanna be, for him. I need to protect him, but at what point did I stop doing the right thing and started shielding him from the world?"

Neal pulled Emma in for a tight hug.

"Emma, it'll be ok. You, Me, Henry...we can all be a family now. You don't have to do this alone. I may be engaged to Tamara, but I'm still his father, I have to step up and-"

"You lied to me." sounded Henry's voice from the doorway. "You told me my dad was a fireman...who died. You said so!"

"Henry!" Emma cried, bolting up from her seat and running towards him, but he was gone.

"Henry, come back!" Emma cried again, watching her son run away, sobbing into his jacket sleeve. He was gone.

"I'm going after him," said Emma, grabbing her purse from the waiting room chair, but Neal held her back.

"Let me do it, Em. I think he needs a little space right now. I'll follow him, but let's give him some time, ok?"

"Okay," sighed Emma reluctantly. "Just keep him safe, ok?"

"Miss Swan?" Darcy's voice sounded from the Operating Room door. "We filtered the majority of the poison from his blood, and are synthesizing an anti venom now. We'll have to keep him in a magic voided containment chamber until we can finish treatment. You can come with us, if you like."

She beckoned towards Emma, who gave Neal a nod of assurance.

"You happen to have an anti-magic chamber just lying around, Dearie?" Mr. Gold hissed, coming out from the anesthesia. Emma chuckled, helping Darcy wheel the hospital bed through a new, more ominous maze of password-protected entrances.

"Well, we're a little short on space, Mr. Gold, so...you're going to have a roommate."

"What?!" Emma snapped. "You can't be serious."

"Well, by 'magic voided containment chamber...' I may have meant a prison cell."

"WHAT?!"

"Just follow me, please."

...

Ruby had been able to drive in cool silence up until Coulson started shuffling through her CD collections.

"Never would've pegged you for a Duran Duran fan, Ruby." Coulson mused, relishing the grimace on his chauffeur's face.

"I only bought that album for 'Hungry Like the Wolf,'" she defended, watching the passenger carefully eye the glass werewolf hung over her mirror.

"You like wolves, then?"

"What can I say, Mr. Mendell," Ruby forced a smile. "They're so gosh darn cute."

With an aggressive left turn, Ruby pulled into the Hospital's visitor parking, where her friend Ashley, dressed in scrubs, was waiting with a wheelchair.

"My my, small towns sure are hospitable, aren't they?" Coulson smiled as Ashley helped him out of the car. She winked at Ruby, who slipped ten dollars into her friend's apron pocket and stealthily removed a set of keys.

"Feel better, Greg!" Ruby said cheerily as she made her way to the visitor's entrance, keys hidden in her palm.

Coulson reclined in the wheelchair as Ashley pushed him up the ramp towards the west wing, tapping his finger against the armrest.

Ruby glided past security until a gruff voice stopped her.

"Yo, sister! You need to sign in."

"Sup Leroy?" She sighed, reluctantly backtracking and stopping at the desk. "Since when do you work hospital security?" She asked, puzzled. "Since when do we even _have_ hospital security?"

"Since Snow asked me to, said we needed to tighten things up with Cora on the loose." Leroy explained, handing Ruby a pen. "Everyone needs to sign in and wear a badge, and I'll need to see your ID."

"Fine," Ruby sighed again, fishing her cursed Maine ID from her wallet and handing it to Leroy, who squinted intently at the picture.

"Ruby Lucas, my nickname is Red. I work at Granny's diner, and I know you like mayo on your eggs."

"You're good to go, just no funny business. I saw you give Ella those scrubs at Granny's this morning."

"She's just doing me a favor, Leroy. I promise." Ruby smiled, taking her ID back. "I'm going to visit Belle."

"How's she doing?" Leroy asked, lowering his voice.

"She thinks she's some girl name Lacey, I dunno, must be her cursed memories," Ruby whispered. "Any news on that cure from Mother Superior?"

"Not yet, she's missing some big magical component to make the antidote. Someone who returned to who they should be, someone not cursed."

"That's cryptic," Ruby rolled her eyes. Leroy scoffed in agreement.

"Give my best to Belle," said Leroy, stamping a date on Ruby's badge, who stuck it to her purse.

...

Henry bolted through SHIELD like a torpedo, hiding his face and looking for a place to hide. His mom lied to him, she was no better than Regina. Could he trust anyone? Was Rumplestiltskin his grandpa now? Why did Emma have to lie? He really was alone.

"OOF-"

Henry fell backwards, looking up to see his hero, Captain America, attempting to wipe coffee off his SHIELD t-shirt.

"Hey son, you okay?" Steve asked, offering Henry a hand.

"I'm so-I'm so sorry! I didn't see where I was going! It's my fault!" Henry wailed, scrambling to his feet.

"Where are your parents?"

Henry was silent, too embarrassed to speak.

"My name is Steve, what's yours?"

"H-Henry..." he stuttered. "I-I-mI'm a really big f-f-fan of how you save the world and s-s-stuff!"

"C'mon, Henry." Steve smiled, taking his hand. "I'll buy you a pop from the break room."

...

"Wait, so he's getting a cellmate? I thought we weren't prisoners! I thought you were helping us!" Emma spat, glaring at Darcy.

"I AM helping you! Jesus!" Darcy stopped in her tracks, throwing her hands up in disbelief. "I risked my job to get you guys in here, I pulled all the strings I had to even get you ACCESS to this treatment. Last year we built a state-of-the-art magic proof cell that is the ONLY thing on Earth that will save his life."

Darcy circled the cot and jabbed her index finger into Emma's chest.

"Miss Swan, you can let your friend die, or you can let me do my job. The choice is yours."

Emma blinked furiously, staring dazed at the bushy-haired girl in front of her. Her gaze flitted over to Mr. Gold, laying weak in a hospital bed. Her father-in-law, Henry's grandfather, Neal's father, her family. She wasn't about to screw anything else up.

"Let's go."

Darcy nodded and began pushing the cot down the hall. Emma reached over and took Mr. Gold's hand in hers, squeezing it gently.

"C'mon, Rumplestiltskin," she smiled tearily. "Let's do this."

...

"Henry! Thank God," Neal gasped, dashing into the SHIELD breakroom where his son was eating a bagel with Captain America.

"Neal? Where's Mom?" Henry asked, anxious.

"She's with Papa-I mean, Mr. Gold. She wanted me to talk to you."

"I'll give you two some privacy. Nice to meet you, Henry!"

"nicetomeetyoutoo..." Henry blushed. Steve smiled as Neal shook his hand.

"Thank you so much for taking care of him."

"He's a good kid," said Steve. "Now, Henry. Be sure to stay out of trouble!"

With that, Steve saluted the two and left.

Neal sat next to Henry, staring at his hands.

"I bet you want to know why your mom lied about me," Neal sighed, twiddling his thumbs.

"Because she thinks I can't handle the truth, she does this a lot," Henry sniffled.

"No, that's not it at all. Your mom wanted to tell you about me, but she couldn't." Neal began. "You know Superman?"

Henry nodded slightly.

"Well, you know how Superman wears those glasses and pretends he's Clark Kent? So his family will be safe from his enemies? Your mom is a hero, right? The savior? She had to do the same thing, pretend so the enemy can't hurt the ones she loves."

"Like, a secret identity?" Henry asked.

"Exactly." Neal smiled. "Your mom loves you very much, she's only trying to shield you from the bad guys."

"But you're my dad...not a bad guy." Henry sniffled.

"I wasn't the best guy, Henry," Neal sighed. "But that was a long time ago. I'm ready to be a good guy now."

Henry smiled slightly, and leaned on Neal's shoulder.

"Want to go wait for your mom?"

"In a sec," said Henry. "I'd kinda like to meet my dad right now."

...

Once out of Leroy's sight, Ruby made a B-line to Dr. Whale's office. She checked if the coast was clear, and slipped the keys from her pocket. Ruby unlocked the door and entered quietly, flicking on the overhead light and immediately seeing her target, Greg's file, sitting on the desk. She grabbed it and flipped it open, skimming the contents for anything suspicious. She didn't have to read far.

"Rapid cellular regeneration, illuminated burn marks," she read to herself, "Blood tests show massive amounts of radioactive vibranium isotope in system. Patient is healing faster than possibly seen in medical science...possibly supernatural."

"Hello, Ruby," sounded a familiar voice from the hallway. There stood Coulson, leaning casually against the door frame. "Find anything interesting?"

"Who are you..." Ruby growled, taking a lamp from Dr. Whale's desk and brandishing it like a sword. "How are you healing so fast? Are you from _there?!_"

"Ruby, calm down. Let me explain."

"Explain what?!" she snarled.

"Just...put the lamp down." Coulson sighed, raising his arms in surrender and entering the office.

"I'm healing for the same reason I know something is amiss with Storybrooke, and the same reason I know you're a werewolf. I'm like you, Ruby."

Ruby stumbled, dropping the lamp in shock.

"How..." she stammered. "How did you find out-"

"The claw scars on your hands, for a start." Coulson grinned. "The slightly overdeveloped canine lateral incisors, the calendar in Granny's diner with each full moon circled, the fact your pupils are slightly almond shaped, not to mention the wolf ornament in your car. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together."

Ruby backed against the wall, trembling in fear.

"Who are you," she snarled, staring him down.

"My name's Phil Coulson," he said, offering a friendly hand towards her. "Can we take a drive?"

...

"So, Greg-er-Phil..." Ruby leaned back in the passenger seat, pissed she wasn't driving her own car. "What now? Your government cronies are gonna take me away and dissect me? Or are you just going to kill me now and dump the body?"

"No," Coulson sighed. "Not SHIELD, but we're not the only ones after people with powers. You are very special, Ruby."

"_Special_?" Ruby scoffed, tucking her hair behind her shoulder. "You think this makes me special?! I'm a monster. I've killed innocent people...I ate my boyfriend, and you think I'm _special?!_"

"Yes."

Ruby felt mascara run down her face as Coulson handed her a Kleenex. She took it and began dabbing her eyes.

"So, you said people with powers...there are more of us? from other worlds?"

"More than you can count," explained Coulson. "And there are people in our world with powers, too. Hundreds, if not thousands. Some are born with them, some, like me, find them through accident. I was stabbed clean through the heart with an alien blade, next thing I know I'm up and about. The alien metal saved my life. Ironic, isn't it?"

Coulson pulled the car up to the entrance of Granny's diner.

"I've seen giants, Ruby," he began. "The real ones aren't heroes because of what they have, it's what they decide to do with it. You're a smart girl with good instincts. You're in a position to do a lot of good."

The car door clicked as Ruby began to pull the handle, but not before Coulson slipped her a business card.

"Aren't you undercover?" Ruby smiled, exiting the car and crouching to the window. "Isn't it spy 101 to not carry stuff like this? Some big scary agent you are..."

"I took a risk," Coulson smiled, "Was it worth it?"

"Maybe..." smirked Ruby before standing, hovering just a second to watch Coulson drive her car over to the inn. She peered down at the card:

_Phil Coulson _

_Chief Liaison/Director of Internal Affairs_

_Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division._

"Wow," Ruby snorted. "They really wanted their initials to spell SHIELD, didn't they?"

….

"We're here," muttered Darcy.

"Where exactly is 'here,'?" Gold mumbled from his cot, gaining increasing lucidity and gripping Emma's hand tightly.

Darcy didn't respond as she punched an access code into the door, watching the massive metal doors slide open. Inside was a cylindrical glass chamber, and a heavily chained figure inside it.

"Sup, Hannibal?" Darcy joked, wheeling Gold towards the chamber and looking at the prisoner. "You've got a roommate for tonight, his name's-"

"Rumplestiltskin, is that you?" purred the prisoner. "My, my, you look positively human tonight. Finally decide do ditch the scales?"

"My, my, Loki, you decide to ditch the blue skin? You look positively Asgardian," snarled Rumpelstiltskin. As Darcy wheeled the cot inside, the two tricksters grasped hands and laughed.

"Hello, old friend. It's been too long!"

"Aye, it has."

Emma stood, slackjawed, at the scene. "Don't tell me you two know each other.."

"At the rate of tonight's going, are you really surprised, Miss Swan?" chuckled Darcy, setting up a fresh IV for Gold.

"When you've dabbled in magic as long as we have, certain circles tend to cross. Miss _Swan_, was it?" Loki sneered, positioning himself more comfortably on his bench, as comfortable as chains would allow, anyway.

"_Sheriff_ Swan, actually."

"My, my, a servant of the law. How noble!" Loki sneered, relishing Emma's eye roll.

"Alright, I've got to wrap a few things up and I'll be back!" interjected Darcy. "You two play nice, I don't want to pull the hose on you. Miss Swan, come with me."

"Emma..." Gold mumbled from his hospital bed. "I know it wasn't a part of our deal, but keep an eye on Bae, at least until I pull through."

"Of course, Mr. Gold." Emma nodded. "You don't have to worry. I'll make sure he's okay."

"Thank you."

"I await for your return, Darcy..." Loki smiled, giving her a chivalrous nod. Darcy blushed slightly and punched the exit code into the prison door, escorting Emma out.

Darcy began leading Emma back to the waiting room next to the OR, flashing her security badge left and right. Emma noticed that Darcy seemed flustered.

"So," Emma sighed. "How long have you been crushing on Hannibal Lecter back there?"

"How did you-?"

"I have this knack for reading people..."

Darcy lowered her voice to a whisper. "Look, it's not like it's anything. He's just trying to charm my pants off to escape custody, and frankly the attention is nice. I'm in a bit of a dry spell and eloquence is kind of my kryptonite...but come on. Me? Him? Um, delusional, party of one."

"It's okay, Henry's father's a former con artist. We met stealing a car." Emma reassured her. "It's natural, just don't lose your head, ok? "

...

"I'm not infatuated with that bespectacled little insect!"

"Really, Dearie? Your face says otherwise." Rumplestiltskin laughed, the effects of the prison cell relieving his now-human body from the poison.

"Well, it's all wishful thinking. She's a mortal working for a planet who wants me burned alive. She's far too smart to fall for a beast like me," Loki grimaced.

"Do not underestimate the power of love, dear boy," Rumplestiltskin drawled fondly. "I know first hand, it can do impossible things..."

* * *

_**Ending the chapter with a little Tasertricks! Yeah, once again, sorry updates are slow. Job/school/life. Yada yada yada. I wrote the Ruby and Coulson scene after the SHIELD tralier premiered, so I kind of imagine that's his sales pitch to potentials.**_

_**Thanks for reading! I love you all.**_

_**-DC**_


	8. Chapter 8

Emma curled up on a row of lobby chairs, hugging her leather jacket for warmth as the bliss of her first wink of sleep in three days-

*BZZZZ BZZZZZ BZZZZ*

Never mind.

"mmmmrgh?" Emma mumbled, answering her phone.

"Emma! Thank goodness, what's going on?! You send me a text that says 'Gold's been poisoned' and DON'T answer your phone all day?! Young lady, I've been worried sick!"

"Calm down," Emma yawned, rubbing her eyes. "We got some help, we're at the hospital, and as soon as we get discharged we're on the next flight back to Logan."

"Hurry," Mary Margaret panicked. "Cora's got the dagger, she's going to use it become the Dark One. You're all in danger! If she goes after you, the entire world is exposed to her wrath. She has magic, Emma...and she will not stop until every scrap of our family is at her feet."

"Mary Margaret, it's okay. You shouldn't have to be fighting this alone. I'll be-" Emma paused, hearing a familiar piece of static. She popped the back of her phone and saw a foreign, metal disc wired into the circuit

"I'm going to call you back." Emma shuddered, ignoring Mary Margaret's voice on the other end and hanging up.

...

"You BUGGED my phone?!" Emma snarled, barreling into Maria Hill's office and crushing the bug in front of her. "I'm an _American citizen_, and this is a _blatant _violation of my constitutional rights!"

"I believe we haven't properly introduced ourselves. Have a seat, Miss Swan," said Hill, nonchalantly.

"_Sheriff_ Swan, thank you." Emma snarled, slamming her hands on Maria's desk.

"Sheriff," Maria cracked her neck, not bothering to look at the furious blonde adjacent from her. "We believe Storybrooke to be a level three security threat, your isolated Yggdrasil breach now demonstrates potential to catastrophically harm this world. And just to clarify-"

Maria flicked her eyes upward, waving a manila envelope.

"We both know you're not an American citizen. You came through a portal outside of Massachusetts while still a baby. While you grew up here, you are technically an illegal."

"What are you talking about?" asked Emma, flustered. "I mean, yeah I was technically born not here, but I grew up in Boston!"

"We have quite a file on you, Miss Swan" Maria said coolly, setting the crisp envelope on her desk and cracking it open. 'EMMA SWAN' was written in a nondescript font across the top. Emma stared at her life, laying in black and white in front of her.

"Found on the side of the road next to Mal's Diner. Tossed around in the foster system, long history of larceny, grand theft auto, fraud etc. before spending eleven months in prison, giving birth to a 7lb boy before freelancing as a Bail Bondsman-"

"Bondsperson," Emma corrected.

"Regardless," Maria continued, her tone growing aggravated. "We at SHIELD have been monitoring you for quite some time."

"Now, we've kept our distance," Maria insisted, watching Emma fidget nervously. "We've even kept some interested parties off your scent for the past twenty-eight years. You should be thanking us."

"Interested parties?" Emma yelled. "Then why was I in FOSTER CARE?! If someone wanted me, they would've claimed me from the system!"

Emma hurriedly wiped a tear from her eye and inhaled sharply.

"Now, tell me, huh? What interested parties?"

Maria shuffled some papers as she glanced up at Emma, who's entire body was huffing and puffing in repressed anger. Maria sighed, and gestured for Emma to have a seat opposite her desk. Emma accepted as she fidgeted to burn off her energy.

"Thirty years ago...was a different time." Maria began. "We were attempting to replicate a top-secret project via gamma radiation, We were fighting against the clock with another organization, I assume you've heard of HYDRA."

"Yeah...in history class." Emma answered. "I thought they were disbanded decades ago."

"I'm afraid you were misinformed." Maria continued. "There was a significant surge of abnormal radioactivity about five-hundred feet from where you were found. We monitored you for...signs of mutation. Super strength, intuition, reflex, anything. You were perfectly normal, and we cut the operation when we found Agent Rogers."

"Captain America?" Emma looked up, startled. "I heard about that in the news."

"You and the entire country, Miss Swan. It provided a fantastic sense of Nationalism. Regardless, we halted the surveillance about three years ago. We were surprised to find you in Storybrooke, the epicenter of the latest surge."

"The portal?" asked Emma. Hill nodded.

"I assume Dr. Foster has informed you of her research, our contact with Asgard back in 2008, the subsequent destruction of the Rosenbridge, and her attempts to reconstruct the wormhole."

"Yeah, at least that's what Henry said. My son. He's apparently a huge fan of you guys."

"Smart kid," Maria snorted. "Now, while you're here, I was hoping we could talk about a co-operative strategy. You don't trust us, but you at least trust Jane, right?"

Emma nodded reluctantly.

"Well, to prevent any cross-invasions between Storybrooke and the rest of the Earth, Dr. Foster had me draft this."

Maria pulled a chrome clipboard from her desk drawer, holding a three-page contract and a SHIELD issued pen. Emma took the clipboard and skimmed the pages, frowning and furrowing her brows.

I _ hereby commit to sharing any and all knowledge concerning Storybrooke to the below SHIELD parties:

Jane Foster, PhD

This includes all information regardless of perceived relevancy, personal attachments, and associated risks. In return, the aforementioned SHIELD parties will not disclose information to other SHIELD associates without the consent of the original party unless said information proves a direct threat to international and intergalactic security...

"So, only Dr. Foster can use my info?" Emma glared at the page, attempting to discern the legalese.

"For the sake of her research, yes. It is mutually beneficial, we're allies with the realm of Asgard and wish to re-establish contact. In return, we won't use the information to harm or introduce the outside world into Storybrooke. You won't become Epcot, we promise. In return, we ask for your co-operation in our investigation."

Emma's eyebrows knit tightly together as she skimmed the contract.

"If it's all the same to you," she muttered. "I'd like to run this by my lawyer."

"Lawyer?"

...

"You let that princess capture you?!"

"Yes, unfortunately. It was to set the plan in motion." Rumplestiltskin sighed nostalgically. "Nervous little thing, she was even holding the contract upside down!"

"How're you feeling, Gold?" interrupted Emma, trudging apprehensively through the glass doors of the prison cell, a heavily armed Maria at her side.

"Now that I'm not dying?" Gold sleepily grinned, the heart monitor now beeping steadily. "Not too bad, present company aside."

Loki let out a throaty laugh.

"Sheriff, you have a devil on your hands, here!" he smiled. "My, my. This is the most fun I've had since incarceration, I'll give you that."

"Even Darcy?" Emma mumbled sarcastically under her breath.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing. Anyway, Gold. Would you mind looking this over?" Emma handed Gold the clipboard, helping him sit up in his hospital bed.

"What's this?" He asked, fumbling with the pages.

"It's a contract. We're having a small team assess Storybrooke."

"You're WHAT?!" Gold snarled, the monitors beeping furiously.

"Calm down!" Emma insisted. "Hence the contract, it's basically an NDA. Seeing as you're the only one of us with a law degree, I thought you might want to look it over."

"Dearie," Gold hissed as his heart rate steadied. "Need I remind you I received that degree from a curse?"

"Regardless," Emma rolled her eyes. "Just look it over before I sign it, okay?"

Gold skimmed through the pages, frowning in concentration.

"This looks pretty standard, include a caveat about other realms. Don't let this research go into development for other portals without your consent, or else we'll have an epidemic on our hands."

With a flick of his hand, he took the pen from the top of the clipboard and scribbled an addendum at the bottom of the page, Maria initialing next to the loopy script.

"Well, Miss Swan. That should suit your needs," said Maria, while Emma took the clipboard and wrote "EMMA SWAN" boldly across the signature.

"Fantastic. Now, time to take your voice to my underwater palace while I get some discharge papers for your father," Maria joked, beckoning Emma behind her.

"Dearie, I'm not her-"

"Can you give us a minute?" Emma's voice cracked. Gold stared at them, confused.

"Sure...um, take my gun, I'll be waiting outside." Maria said, biting her lip. She was joking, wasn't she? Gold couldn't be her father.

"Emma, what's going on?"

"Well." Emma fidgeted. "Remember when I said I um...didn't know Baelfire?"

"It was implied" Gold said stiffly.

"Well, funny story. He um...he's Henry's father."

Gold was silent. Emma fidgeted with the hem of her jacket before she apprehensively continued.

"So that makes us..."

"In-laws?" Gold burst out laughing. Emma was taken aback, and disappointed by his lack of sincerity.

"It's not funny!" Emma snarled while Gold wiped tears from his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry!" Gold choked between laughs. "But you must admit, this is absurd. What will I tell Mary Margaret? Should I send a fruit basket?!"

"No apples." Emma snickered. "Honestly? I thought you'd be livid. How many painkillers are you on, anyway?"

"I have a grandson, Emma. Why would I be angry?"

"Because..." Emma fidgeted. "I dunno, I'm the tramp that whisked your son away into a life of further crime and theft? We met stealing a car. It wasn't all that fairy tale."

"Emma, nothing in this world is a fairy tale." Gold sighed, reaching out for her hand. "You must understand, everything I did, all the evil I committed, it was for this moment. To find my family. My grandson, my own blood, brought me to Baelfire. I found my son. I gained a daughter, too..."

"Well, you're about to gain another," Emma sighed, the word 'daughter' sitting uncomfortably in the air. "Neal's engaged."

* * *

_**Short chapter, but I wanted to post something to keep the hiatuses from running too long. I have the Cora showdown outlined, and hopefully soon I'll be able to properly write it out!**_

_**Thank you for all your lovely comments, I'm sorry I haven't had time to reply. Job/life/school, yada yada yada. **_

_**Just got back from Otakon, which was a total blast! Any of you lovely readers attend?**_

_**-DC**_


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